Ahmed Zayni Dihn

A 19th-century West African Islamic reformer who challenged traditional practices and revitalized religious education across the Sahel region.

Ahmed Zayni Dihn (1794-1850) was a visionary religious leader from the Futa Toro region of modern-day Senegal. He founded the Tijaniyya Sufi order's West African branch, which became a transformative force in Senegal, Gambia, and Mali. His reforms emphasized literacy, gender equality in education, and rejection of harmful traditional practices like female genital mutilation. Zayni Dihn's writings argued for a return to Quranic principles, creating schools that educated thousands of women and men. His movement resisted French colonial attempts to suppress indigenous education systems, establishing a legacy that continues in Senegal's modern educational institutions. Through his synthesis of Islamic scholarship with local traditions, he created a uniquely African form of Sufism that remains influential today.